


An Interview With Namikaze Minato

by Izzy (Izzy_Dur)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Dialogue, Funny, Interviews, Minato Namikaze - Freeform, kushina uzumaki - Freeform, naruto - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24026632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izzy_Dur/pseuds/Izzy
Summary: Today we sit down for an interview with the esteemed Yondaime, Minato Namikaze!
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	An Interview With Namikaze Minato

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoy these little interview-style kind of character interactions. Enjoy!

* * *

"I am now sitting down with one... Namikaze Minato, Fourth Hokage to the Village of Fire, spouse to Kushina Uzumaki, and father to Naruto Uzumaki. Is this correct?"

"Um, yes. To the best of my knowledge, that's correct. ...So do I just pick any chair or...?"

"Any will do, yes...Great, there you go. Before we get started, would you be so kind as to state your name for the record? Voice recognition and all that there."

"Oh, uh, sure. _Ahem..._ my name... _IS_... the legendary Minato Nami—"

"If I could stop you right there to ask what you're doing? With the whole voice thing and the menacing smile…?"

"…Welp. _Now_ I'm feeling kind of dense but, uh… it was something my wife suggested. She said I lacked the kind of presence that kowtows others instantly, doesn't really think I'm a very intimidating Hokage compared to the others before me, which is… arguable, I'll give her that, so she—"

"—so your wife doesn't see you as fit to run the village, does she?"

"Oh, ha! No, no, on the contrary—she honestly believes I'm the best to ever hold the title. Personally, I think she's lost her mind on that one but I double dog dare myself to say that to her face…."

"Your wife believes you to be the best suited Hokage… in a hallowed line that includes the likes of Hashirama-dono and Tobirama-dono."

"Yuuuup."

"Is she perhaps on drugs?"

"Not that I know of, no."

"Ah."

"Mhm…."

"And where do you think you sit on that scale, Minato-san?"

"Me? Hm... Now that's a tough one. Where do I see myself, where do I see myself…? Well, honestly, I don't like to think in terms of strength—far as I'm concerned, nobody's topping the Godaime and even then, you can't really brute force your way into governing people—buuuuut… overall? I'd put myself somewhere in the top three, at least. I might not have had the longest tenure but what I _did_ manage, I'd like to think made a big difference."

"You say the top three… including who else?"

"Whoever else fits the other two spots. You pick."

"My thoughts on that are superfluous, aren't they? As a previous Hokage, the only input that matters should come from y—"

"As the Yondaime, one thing I learned even before I took the mantle was that the thoughts and viewpoints of those who look to you for advice are just as important as any lone thought you might have on your own. A man who rules without guidance is doomed to fall under himself, but a man who takes in many perspectives expands his gaze beyond the stars."

"…That was surprisingly wise for one so young."

"I have my moments. Like I said, strength alone won't get you far as a Hokage, there has to be some sort of light on upstairs."

"Indeed. And do you think you filled the position as adequately as your wife feels you did? Or could?"

"As good as Ku-chan thinks I could have? Not even close, but her standards are ridiculously high. Perfectionist, loud, commanding—I could live three lifetimes and still not match the greatness she sees in me. Bring it down to normal standards, though, and I don't think I did _too_ bad…."

"Any regrets?"

"More than you or I have the time to go over."

"I imagine so..."

"Better to only imagine than live with it, I say."

"Are you scared of Kushina-dono?"

"Question outta left field there, but am I? Yes."

"That… was a surprisingly quick response."

"You asked a surprisingly easy question."

"I—well, normally, most would hesitate, not really want to answer one way or the other, but you…."

"Ha, my wife is scary as all hell, that's just facts. I fear her more than any enemy I could ever cross kunai with on the battle field. At least I know I stand a _chance_ at beating them. My wife? Naw. Might as well call it done."

"Are you really saying that a Hokage cannot defeat his own wife in battle?"

"What I'm really saying is by default of her being my wife, she automatically wins. I was defeated in all the ways the moment I said 'I do' as far as I'm concerned. That's what she said and I don't even mind."

"Interesting…."

"Just a course of life that I've learned to lean into, really. My wife is adorably headstrong, I want her to be the best."

"And what about your son?"

"What about Naruto?"

"We have a staggering amount of questions here, mostly from fans, some from interested third parties, who want to know your true feelings on his treatment at the hands of those belonging to the village you pledged to defend?"

"Ah… my honest feelings…."

"Yes, if you could honor us with such a thing."

"…Once you become Hokage, I remember the Third telling me… it's like every single one of Konoha's citizens, they become your child. Yours to protect and guide and nurture. Sometimes, it's a trying thing… to watch as your children squabble and hurt one another, especially when most of that ire seems aimed at one of the children you quite literally created. Then, it becomes something different… your views get twisted, nothing makes sense anymore and all you feel is this undying, all-consuming rage coursing through your veins.

"In the beginning, it really hurts, that rage… it's probably best to be by yourself during the first few waves because it's not something anyone should ever let influence their moves. I was… lucky, to be gone. Extremely so. Over the years, watching him, watching _them_ … ah, I'd be lying if I said it got easier. It never did. Did it become tolerable? Not really. In fact, if I'm honest, as you've asked me to be, I still hold a great deal of loathing in my heart. More than I'm comfortable with carrying—more than I thought I was _capable_ of carrying.

"Eventually, in the end, it was my child who saved me from my own anger. Kinda odd when I think on it because… normally, subjecting someone to that kind of brutality for so long, they would naturally want to seek some sort of revenge, right? But Naruto never did. He took all that hate and… and he gave them shelter. That… I would swear he wasn't my child at times because I don't know where in the world he got kind of strength. To this day, I'm still confused, ha. Like… such a small human that I made— _me_ —and well, wife included, but still—and he just… without any guidance… he didn't let any of that hate change who he was, you know? He had every right to, every inclination, and yet…."

"Minato-sama… are you okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah… yeah, I'm… just thinking is all…."

"About what?"

"How truly blessed I am to have had a kid like Naruto."

"I think most would agree with that sentiment now."

"Yeah…."

"Were you excited to see him learn the Rasengan?"

"Was I? And in a little over a _week_? That's the point where I was like 'my son is a prodigy'! Well, I always figured—Ku-chan, too—but that right there, just wow….Took me three years, took him less than ten days. Amazing…."

"Do you wish you could have taught him your _Hiraishin_ jutsu?"

"Every single day, yes."

"Cute. Did your wife ever want to learn it?"

"Not initially, no, but once I put a mark on her so I could teleport to her side if she ever needed me, she saw _that_ side of the technique, how powerful it was on the protection angle, and wanted to learn it just so she could come to Naruto for the same reason. Obviously… that didn't really come to happen…."

"Unfortunately, no, although I daresay your wife probably would have driven that newfound ability into the ground."

"Pft, that's an understatement. It takes a fair bit of chakra control to orchestrate but the Uzumaki's are known for their near bottomless chakra reserves so she would've been teleporting all day and night and you know what? Actually, on second thought, her _not_ learning my technique is probably the single best outcome out of all of this."

"Would you say that in front of her?"

"Absolutely not."

"Ah. Well… I think that'll just about do it for now, um… yeah, we got through a lot of questions—definitely not all of them, but we'll save some for next time, yes?"

"You like it, I love it. This was okay, I'm glad Ku-chan pressured me to do it."

"Then so am I. Does that mean you'll be open to more questions in the future?"

"Of course. As the former Hokage, I am in service to those who need me."

"Excellent. Well, until next time, this has been… an interview with Namikaze Minato-sama."

"Well, erm, not to be rude or anything but I'm just gonna teleport out of here, okay?"

"As you please."

"Great. See ya!"


End file.
